How To Start A Landscaping Business in 7 steps- A complete guide
Like many other small businesses, you need to get down to the smallest detail about your prospective landscaping business so you can be successful.
You are reading this blog post because you want to become a landscaping business owner and be a big player in the lawn care industry in your locality.
To start with, your biggest asset in a landscaping business is the information you have and your level of experience. For starters, it’s okay if you don’t have so much landscaping experience but you have to make up for your lack of experience with as much information as you can gather.
As a landscaping business owner, your primary desire is to uplift the aesthetic of the urban landscape (people’s immediate environment) such that the scenery is much more beautiful by virtue of your expertise. It involves lawn care, mowing services, and planting of ornamental shrubs and trees. Depending on skills and expertise, it can sometimes involve the construction of springs and hard surfaces. In a nutshell, your landscaping business is basically the combination of your botanical knowledge and business management.
To help you put your best foot forward, I have explored 7 steps to help you start your new business.
1. Research your local area [one of the most important steps]
What kind of vegetation is present in the area?
Is it mostly tropical or sub-tropical? What types of trees and shrubs are in abundance?
Your knowledge of the local vegetation will go a long way in helping you in the smooth running of your new business. One of the best indications of climate is vegetation. Certain plants are better adapted to certain places You want to have a good knowledge of which (ornamental) plants can thrive well in your locality. While talking to potential customers, you want to demonstrate this knowledge so they can trust you to handle their project.
Get to know your local climate. If you’re planning on doing outdoor landscaping, you should be aware of the seasonal temperatures. If you live in a temperate region with four distinct seasons, it’s best to stick with plants that thrive during that time period. If you plan to do work indoors or in a greenhouse, any plant variety may be available.
How much are people willing to spend on landscaping?
You don’t want to lower your standards and work for cheap. If you have low prices, it’s always best to perform top-quality work to ensure clients are satisfied with the service. It’s a good business sense for them to contact you again and recommend you to family and friends.
Can you get other local landscaping businesses?
Are there other landscapers already working in the area? If the answer is yes, it’s good to find out who they are and what they charge. This can be done by talking with homeowners directly or by searching through regional homeowner association newsletters or magazines. They might even have an “advertise your services” section that could be beneficial in terms of obtaining potential clients.
Talk to your trusted friends about the idea
You’ll gain more information as you talk to people and visit different landscaping companies. You’ll come across the best local landscapers by looking at their reviews. Ask your friends, neighbors and coworkers about their experiences with a certain company. The more positive feedback you can get, the better off you are.
By the time you compile all this information, it will be easier for you to make business decisions. If there are several good landscaping companies that do great work, ask them what they charge for services. Then, you can decide how much you can charge for work.
They should give you a bid for the scope of work you’re planning to do. You can also set your own prices if you feel you’ll be the best landscaping company in the area.
What is your competition charging?
It’s important that you find out what others in your area are charging before setting your initial landscaping prices. Some will say that it’s not a good idea to compare prices, that all businesses are different and should establish their own rates but that’s not true.
There are no excuses for a business that needs to compete with others, especially since there are different pricing models in place.
Many companies have their own pricing system, with fees for a flat rate or charge per hour. Comparisons are your best weapon in establishing pricing as the most important thing when setting up a landscaping company.
You should also consider other factors such as location and cooperation with other landscapers. These factors could affect how much you charge for services.
2. Invest in the right equipment [in addition to employing a team of professional landscapers]
Some landscaping companies may rely on cheap equipment, but don’t make that mistake. You can use a visit from a building and appliance store as an opportunity to see what products are readily available and which ones are top quality and worth the few extra bucks. The same goes for the towing vehicle.
How much do these new items cost? Do they do what they are meant to do? Is it a good investment?
If you’re in doubt, you can ask the landscaping salesman in your locality. He or she could also help you with your decision by asking customers about their assessments. If it’s not a popular tool/item and not often bought by people, that might be one sign that it’s not the right choice.
Basically, I think you should be able to find all the major implements you need within your state. You can keep checking on kijiji, craigslist or other marketplaces in your locality for cheaper fairly-used options.
3. Advertise your services
Good service is not guaranteed if you don’t advertise. Find out which marketing strategy is best for you and how to go about it. Some landscaping companies use billboards to draw attention to their business. Others place ads in local newspapers or on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
If it’s a mobile service, you can make use of the internet too and post flyers on community bulletin boards or brighten up the outdoor walls of buildings with outdoor signs showing your logo or service name.
How much do advertising costs? Is it enough to make a big difference to your business? Make sure your ads are informative and as attractive as possible.
4. Set up an office location or start a mobile service
One of the most important things to consider is if you’ll work from a fixed location or if you’ll have a mobile landscaping service. If you work from an office, it’s best to pick a central location in order to attract as many customers as possible.
If you want to be mobile, you’ll have to consider how much gas and maintenance will cost for your vehicle. You’ll also need a truck or van that has space for all the equipment you’ll be using.
What kind of landscaping services will people expect? Some clients might have specific desires when it comes to the design of their landscaping area. You might need to offer a wide range of services to meet their needs.
Some people might want simple work done in their yard, like replacing dead plants, mowing the lawn or planting a few seasonal flowers.
Others may want more elaborate landscaping services such as having a new deck built or designating certain spots for sculpted shrubs and trees. Others might have problems with erosion and would take advantage of using grass mats to hold down the soil until they can have proper drainage installed.
5. Get referrals and testimonials
In addition to advertising your services, you’ll also want to set up a client referral program. This can help you generate new customers.
Even though it’s a less fancy means of marketing to talk about, word-of-mouth marketing will still be one of the most potent means in your marketing plan. If a client tells a friend about the great landscaping service he or she received, he or she will be more likely to contact you instead of the other landscapers in town.
Make sure that the testimonial is honest and not inflated by positive words like “the best” or “best in town. If your employees have a lot of experience, you can arrange testimonials from people who have used your services and rated it highly.
One of the worst things you can do is to ask someone to provide a quote without any references or any proof that they’ve had great service in the past. You could even ask them to sign an agreement stating that they’ll provide positive word-of-mouth advertising for your company.
6. Establish a client database
You’ll need a database so that new clients can find you easily.
Once you start getting word-of-mouth referrals, you can keep your database up to date. Make sure you have every client’s information, including name, address, and phone number.
You’ll also want to collect information on what their landscaping needs are and what features they want to see in their property or home.
When do you want to be contacted again?
Some clients may need follow-up services in the future. They might need help with certain landscaping tasks or simply want to update their landscaping design now that the weather has changed. You can offer them a tweaked plan to meet their wishes and keep their business.
Stay flexible in your pricing plan especially with existing customers
7. Set up a payment system
You need a payment system that’s convenient for clients, especially those who have limited means. Some landscaping companies may rely on checks or direct deposit. Others may use expensive credit cards. The latter can be a good option for customers with good credit, but you’ll want to take precautions so that you’re not left shelling out large sums of money at the end of the month because an unexpected charge came up.
Scrutinize your clients’ credit and pay attention to how much they use their cards. Less is more. If you see a pattern of spending, you can deduce that the client is in the habit of overspending and might be more likely to default.
So what about you think? Do you have any tips for landscaping companies that want to expand their business? Do these seven factors affect your business? Do you still think it’s best to rely on referrals from existing customers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
